If before the regatta began, I had been offered a bet , even money about a US sailor in the top five, I would ahve taken it on either side of the bet. No way I would have believed three of the top five US. Dunno if our guys are getting better or we just rule light wind.

If before the regatta began, I had been offered a bet , even money about a US sailor in the top five, I would ahve taken it on either side of the bet. No way I would have believed three of the top five US. Dunno if our guys are getting better or we just rule light wind.

Spent a good half hour hanging with Loick tonight; fucking love that guy. "I am just happy to be learning," he said, after showing me the 8" gash and 12 stitches it took to close it; a shroud impact...

Interesting both Anthony and Bora are not using the bungy cord on their wands. Less drag? More lift?

They may have an alternative system that you can't see (e.g. bungie to the bell crank at the top of the main strut). In flat conditions, the wand doesn't need to track tightly on the surface so little or no tension is required, the weight of the wand may be sufficient.

They are probably also running very little gearing so the flap hardly moves once at full ride height.

Clean
He is a really talented, up and coming sailor from Tasmania. I don't know him personally but I knew his Dad and I can tell you he has some good sailing genes.
He is NO overnight sensation however, but has been working ferociously on his sailing, over many years, to get to this point.
His previous results all point to an upwards trend hehe

He had the only Bladerider in the gold fleet at the 2011 worlds. Ask Rob Gough, they train a lot together.

Better still ask him yourself, you are there after all. Even better still get Gretta to interview him.

Clean
He is a really talented, up and coming sailor from Tasmania. I don't know him personally but I knew his Dad and I can tell you he has some good sailing genes.
He is NO overnight sensation however, but has been working ferociously on his sailing, over many years, to get to this point.
His previous results all point to an upwards trend hehe

He had the only Bladerider in the gold fleet at the 2011 worlds. Ask Rob Gough, they train a lot together.

Better still ask him yourself, you are there after all. Even better still get Gretta to interview him.

Julian and his father Royce run a boat repair business here in Hobart and are probably the one of best craftsmen on the east coast. Julian grew up sailing sabots and even then the boats that Royce built were very innovative at the time and caused a lot of interest at scrutineering because of their novel features.

I don't think you could meet two more unassuming and down to earth sailors and they always have plenty of time to talk and assist if you have a problem with your boat. You can see their entry in the Launceston to Hobart race http://l2h.com.au/ca.../2012-entrants/ here if you scroll down to "Ramrod", a boat that Royce salvaged from nothing, yet its performance in that race was amazing.

It will be good to see how Julian develops in the coming years and I hope he gets plenty of opportunities to show his talents.

One more thing about Chris; dude is a charger. Still out there ten minutes after the leaders have finished, still righting the boat and working her up on the foils...good stuff from a not-so-spring chicken.

Abandonment on Day 4 And Deteriorating Trades Put Balance Of Racing In Question With Seven Races Completed

Kaneohe Bay, HI (17 October 2013) – Talk around Kaneohe Yacht Club’s boat park this morning wasn’t about which foils to use or which sails were best for today’s racing. Instead, competitors at the 2013 McDougall + McConaghy Moth World Championship were worried if they’d get any racing in at all in the final two remaining days of the regatta.

“With 3-4 knots the likely max we’d see today, we’re abandoning the day so you can all go and enjoy Hawaii,” said Matt Knowles, US Moth Class President and organizer of the event at the morning briefing. “Models are all showing a tough couple of days ahead, but we’re hoping a window opens for a few more good, fair races.”

Bora Gulari’s (USA) five-point lead over Australia’s Nathan Outteridge becomes far more crucial with a reduced schedule ahead, though the 2009 Detroit-based World Champion isn’t counting on nature to make his life any easier. “For years I’ve been battling with Nathan at every major event, and it will only take one small error in any race to see my lead disappear,” said Gulari, busy preparing his boat for some practice in Thursday’s zephyrs. Bora was the first American to win a Moth World Title in 33 years when he won the event in Cascade Locks, Oregon; finishing just behind was Outteridge. Two years later, Aussie Gold Medalist and America’s Cup skipper Outteridge crushed the fleet in Belmont, Australia to win his first Moth Worlds.

American racer Brad Funk saw his lock on third place disappear when race officials corrected an earlier scoring error; the Florida Olympic sailor now sits in fourth place, tied on points with 3rd place Julian Salter from Tasmania (AUS). Fellow Tasmanian Rob Gough rounds out the top 5. Full results.

The first top mark of Race 4 of the Championship was the site of the “scariest boat crash I’ve ever seen,” according to one witness, yet neither of the two sailors involved suffered more than a scratch. “I was coming in on the port tack layline, ducking a wall of starboard tackers,” explained Tom Offer (GBR). “Philip [Käsermann] was on starboard, and I think he bore away to let me through just as I was bearing away to go behind him.” At a closing speed of nearly 40 knots, the bow of Offer’s Exocet moth tore into the Swiss sailor’s wing bar, bringing both boats to a spectacular stop and catapulting both sailors through the air and into the water. Offer’s royal blue dinghy suffered damage to the bow though was otherwise unharmed. “It’s a bit much to reconstruct the nose right now, and while I’m massively disappointed to end my regatta after such strong results, I’m very happy neither of us was hurt,” Offer said. Käsermann’s boat was luckier. “I’ve changed the wing bar and will replace the broken boom; I can’t finish my sailing season with a retirement!” The incident served as a reminder of the skill needed to sail a moth at the very highest level. “One little misstep at these speeds can be catastrophic,” said Knowles.

Youth America’s Cup Star Wins $1000 “Velocitek Dash For Cash”

New Zealand hasn’t sent an army of competitors to this Worlds like their neighbor to the West, but Youth America’s Cup-winning skipper Peter Burling made up for the deficit in numbers with a victory in the annual Velocitek Dash For Cash contest. After downloading the data from each Velocitek speed-measuring device, Velocitek founder Alec Stewart announced that Burling had reached an incredible 25.0 knots of boatspeed; all in a maximum wind of around 11 knots – and between two races. “I came in after a race to replace a broken part, and I was definitely in a rush to get back to the start of the next race,” said Burling. The young Kiwi would start 4 minutes behind the fleet and still finish the race in the top ten. “We’ve really enjoyed supporting the Moth fleet over the years with the Dash For Cash,” said Stewart. “The cutting edge technology, incredible efficiency, and simplicity are exactly what Velocitek stands for.”

Images are free for editorial use to a maximum half-page size with mandatory credit to read ThMartinez/Sea&Co/International Moth Worlds. No modification or cropping (other than resizing) is permitted. Photo of Velocitek Dash For Cash Winner Peter Burling should be credited to Gretta Kruesi/www.grettakruesi.com.

Clean Racing Tip Of The Day

As one of the world's most elite racing classes, the International Moth Class believes it essential to emphasize the responsible use of energy and resources in the context of sailing. Working with 11th Hour Racing, a program of the Schmidt Family Foundation, the Moth Class has come up with a number of initiatives to help all sailing events improve the energy profile and performance of racing boats and increase the personal investment of sailors in the health of our waters. Each day, the Moth Worlds fleet will highlight a 'Clean Racing Tip' they've implemented; something that will work for regattas and racing classes around the world. Here’s today’s tip:

MINIMIZE POWER BOATS: As sailboats get faster and faster, coach/photo/support and spectator boats need to burn even more fuel to keep up. It’s just not worth it! Discourage support boats from “chasing” the sailors up and down the beats. This will save gas, reduce emissions, and cut down on wakes that interfere with the racing. Instead, designate good static viewing spots for coach boats, and require their compliance.

For photos, interview requests, or additional information about the Moth Worlds, please contact us at usmothclass@gmail.com.

One more thing about Chris; dude is a charger. Still out there ten minutes after the leaders have finished, still righting the boat and working her up on the foils...good stuff from a not-so-spring chicken.

a great effort.

Yes, the sort of thing one expects from (multiple?) world champion sailors (International Canoe). As hard as moth sailing can be for a neophyte, it doesn't really compare to the beating an IC can dish out.

One more thing about Chris; dude is a charger. Still out there ten minutes after the leaders have finished, still righting the boat and working her up on the foils...good stuff from a not-so-spring chicken.

a great effort.

Yes, the sort of thing one expects from (multiple?) world champion sailors (International Canoe). As hard as moth sailing can be for a neophyte, it doesn't really compare to the beating an IC can dish out.

These aren't exactly weekend warriors out there either. AC guys, Olympic medalists, multiClass world champs, the Jules Verne record holder and a fleet of 80 boats in seemingly very difficult conditions. Then again, Chris is a master artisan in carbon and currently holds the second oldest trophy in international sailing. He has nothing to prove and his continued pursuit of extra awesome is downright cool as shit. At least in my opinion as a guy who likely isn't good enough to even make it into the category of being a danger to myself and others .

Actually now that i look again Chis has a 1 point lead on the 4th place finisher at the London games in the radial, provided she is far better looking, but that certainly speaks to the competition. Rock on Chris!

It would be better with pics and an interview though. Bora, Nathan, Loick, Chris, Annelise calling it a diverse event seems an understatement.

Curious re: foil sections; too much camber, or not enough? And if too much, maybe cut some area off?

Too much camber according to Dave Lister, who's opinion I trust. And yet I'm not taking off fast in marginal conditions so I'm not inclined to cut the tips off just yet. Man, there is little more painful than being run over by forty foiling Moths at the start line. I feel like a tortoise on the freeway.

Any pics of your ship around, Chris?
I'm assuming your rig is largely off the shelf and platform down to weight.
Can you get a swap with one of these guys after a shot on yours? See what the differences are..

How many others out there would qualify for the "Master-Grandmaster" field if they were in lasers?

He's not out at the worlds but Colin Newman in the UK is still mothing and has qualified as great grandmaster in Laser terms for some years now... However I hear that at 71 he's decided that he's no longer really competitive enough so is going to concentrate on his IC...

And I'll throw this out, there is nothing in the sailing world that can provide as complete a thrashing as a foiling moth, not my IC, not my AC, NOTHING! My hat's off to Mr world champ, see you in san fran!

Curious re: foil sections; too much camber, or not enough? And if too much, maybe cut some area off?

Too much camber according to Dave Lister, who's opinion I trust. And yet I'm not taking off fast in marginal conditions so I'm not inclined to cut the tips off just yet. Man, there is little more painful than being run over by forty foiling Moths at the start line. I feel like a tortoise on the freeway.

Sorry to hear about the teething troubles; I'm sure you will get it sorted. Would love to know more about your setup.

In general I think Dave's observation makes sense; why use lots of camber if you have a flap? The flap gives you the camber when you need it.

Nice day off yesterday, but surf on north shore was almost flat. Friday forecast not promising.
Chris Maas boat is a masterpiece, but he is no backyard builder. It's does everything right but just lacks top speed. Chris is really still learning to sail it, but getting better all the time. Pretty dam good for someone starting with a clean slate. He will be a lot faster with some new foils with what he has learnt this week. He certainly has shown us a different way to distribute loads.
Of demographics, there are two of us over 60, several over 50 , including AMAC who is in a league of his own. 70 year old Furura San from Japan is here to get ideas for the new boat he is building for himself, he is not as old as Colin but may well have been sailing moths for a lot longer. There are 5 women sailing.

Curious re: foil sections; too much camber, or not enough? And if too much, maybe cut some area off?

Too much camber according to Dave Lister, who's opinion I trust. And yet I'm not taking off fast in marginal conditions so I'm not inclined to cut the tips off just yet. Man, there is little more painful than being run over by forty foiling Moths at the start line. I feel like a tortoise on the freeway.

Sorry to hear about the teething troubles; I'm sure you will get it sorted. Would love to know more about your setup.

In general I think Dave's observation makes sense; why use lots of camber if you have a flap? The flap gives you the camber when you need it.

Curious re: foil sections; too much camber, or not enough? And if too much, maybe cut some area off?

Too much camber according to Dave Lister, who's opinion I trust. And yet I'm not taking off fast in marginal conditions so I'm not inclined to cut the tips off just yet. Man, there is little more painful than being run over by forty foiling Moths at the start line. I feel like a tortoise on the freeway.

Sorry to hear about the teething troubles; I'm sure you will get it sorted. Would love to know more about your setup.

In general I think Dave's observation makes sense; why use lots of camber if you have a flap? The flap gives you the camber when you need it.

Dragwise I think bulbs are slow; tank seems to agree. Structurally who knows but I will find out soon enough. I know Bieker and Amac supposedly had this discussion at 2009 Worlds; I don't recall seeing any bulbs on the Oracle or ETNZ rudders. Of course they probably used invar or whatever unobtainium for the joint.

The bulb at the join is all about hydrodynamics and is all about tidying up the flow around the joint. I think the first person to design them into a Moth foil was Amac with the Bladerider, but I was first told about the concept by Adam May in the mid 1990's after I had fitted a T foil to my N12, based on his aeronautics degree knowledge. I think it must be a pretty old concept, being put to modern uses.

Oh yeah?
My understanding was that in previous cups beiker was a structures lead for oracle. Mind you he is a nav arch and a versatile one at that so guess that a lot of bits require one to have fingers on the pies of a few disciplines.
Junction is obv a structure / hydrodynamic hotspot.

Fuck so I should have done that on the last tfoil I stuck on my 14 rudder then.
Kinda looks like more bulk/volume hence more drag to my simple eyes.
I guess on 14 tfoils the foil is Half a chord length fwd of the rudder, which may help the junction drag.

Fuck so I should have done that on the last tfoil I stuck on my 14 rudder then.
Kinda looks like more bulk/volume hence more drag to my simple eyes.
I guess on 14 tfoils the foil is Half a chord length fwd of the rudder, which may help the junction drag.

Dan

Not really my area, but I think you have something different going on. Your foils aren't T's. because they aren't at the bottom of the rudder, and, as you point out, they don't go full cord. It wouldn't surprise me if there was something you could do, but seeing that Paul Beiker knows about this stuff and hasn't designed it into one of his 14's, makes me think you need to have a chat with a good hydro/aero guy.

In Hoerners book on drag he cites experiments that show that the bulb reduces interference drag at the junction. However, As good as the book is, it predates CFD, digital test gear and computers by decades, so some of his conclusions need treating with a pinch of salt IMHO. OTOH, some of those old NACA papers are awesome, so I mean no disrespect just because he wrote the book a long time ago.

I think I need to get good at sailing before I worry about adding bulbs. But yes, suspect being a cruciform halfway up affects things.
Saw something on the interweb that bieker was going to do a new i14 rudder following his recent ac experiences. Suspect any difference will be totally lost in the noise! ;-)

I think I need to get good at sailing before I worry about adding bulbs. But yes, suspect being a cruciform halfway up affects things.
Saw something on the interweb that bieker was going to do a new i14 rudder following his recent ac experiences. Suspect any difference will be totally lost in the noise! ;-)

You might be right, but its surprising how much better you sail when you have boatspeed and the confidence it brings. I suspect that some of these things are a bit more than "lost in the noise" items.

With or without bulbs, today is the last day or racing, a few have a remote chance of catching Bora so it's not over yet, so long as the wind arrives, forecast is 6 kt west from over the mountains, buts its never like that in Hawaii.

Can't tell you all how bummed we are that the typical fall lull in the trades coincided with the Moth's visit. Looks like Trades are expected back on Thursday, depending on which weather model you trust.

So very sorry that Windward Oahu didn't deliver. I live just up the coast in the next little community past Chinaman's Hat and on my commute in to town this week I could clearly SEE Molokai across the Kaiwi channel in the morning - you can only see it in very calm conditions (no sea spray), - such that we might get to see it from Kam Highway a half-dozen times a year. This is the most persistant calm spell that I can remember.

America’s Gulari Maintains Lead Over Australia’s Outteridge As English Push For Podium

Kaneohe Bay, HI (19 October 2013) – A surprisingly stable 6-10 knot Northerly breeze allowed for more ‘flight time’ on Friday than anyone expected, as 80 competitors from 15 nations took to the waters of Kaneohe Bay, HI for the penultimate day of the 2013 McDougall + McConaghy International Moth World Championship. Three quick races saw American Bora Gulari’s lead over second place Nathan Outerridge grow to 8 points, while Scott Babbage’s third-place position is under assault from attacking English.

Southampton, UK’s Robert Greenhalgh sailed away from the fleet in races 8 and 9 on Friday, winning one race by more than 200 meters and the other by half that, winning the day and moving up to fifth place with just one day’s racing remaining. Fellow UK Mothist Ben Paton had one of his strongest days of the regatta, moving into fourth, just one point ahead of Greenhalgh. Chris Rashley sits tied on points for 6th place with Tasmania’s Rob Gough, marking the 3rd Englishman in the top ten. He could have easily been on the podium though; Rashley had big leads in at least two races later abandoned. “The [English] boats are going really well out there, but it would be nice if I could have a bit better luck,” said Rashley. Greenhalgh was relaxed despite the tight battle for the podium that lay ahead for him. “Above all else we’re here in Hawaii to have some fun, and today was great fun,” he said.

American Clamps Down On Olympic, Cup Star

Detroit foiling phenom Bora Gulari extended his lead over Australia’s Nathan Outteridge to 8 points with all discards counted, as the American took advantage of Outteridge’s foil selection mistake. “Everything was looking really light in all the forecasts we looked at, and the big main foil I put on was looking good after Race 8,” said Outteridge. The 27-year old racer would take second in the first, light air race of the day, and far enough ahead of Gulari to close the Championship battle to just one point. After one abandoned race and a 20-minute postponement, the wind increased to around 9 knots, and Outerridge’s fate was sealed. “I took a risk and it was the wrong call,” he said. “Those are the tradeoffs and choosing the day’s equipment can be the most stressful part of the morning.” Outteridge added that he hoped to get in enough racing on Saturday to have a shot at beating Gulari and taking his second Moth world title.

Kaneohe Yacht Club Race Officer Tom Pochereva intends to hold four races to finish up the 2013 World Championship; racing begins at 12:00 Hawaii time and no race can be started after 4:00 PM.

Images are free for editorial use to a maximum half-page size with mandatory credit to read ThMartinez/Sea&Co/International Moth Worlds. No modification or cropping (other than resizing) is permitted.

Clean Racing Tip Of The Day

As one of the world's elite racing classes, the International Moth Class believes it essential to emphasize the responsible use of energy and resources in the context of sailing. Working with 11th Hour Racing, a program of the Schmidt Family Foundation, the Moth Class has come up with a number of initiatives to help all sailing events improve the energy profile and performance of racing boats and increase the personal investment of sailors in the health of our waters. Each day, the Moth Worlds fleet will highlight a 'Clean Racing Tip' they've implemented; something that will work for regattas and racing classes around the world. Here’s today’s tip:

LEAD BY EXAMPLE: Make sure the best sailors in the fleet — the people who everyone else looks to for tuning and strategy advice — are on board with the green program. This shows the fleet that the green message is for real, and that the values of environmental conservation are truly the values of the sport.

For photos, interview requests, or additional information about the Moth Worlds, please contact us at usmothclass@gmail.com.